Mootz

In and around New Haven, 'mootz' (from the Italian-American clipping of mozzarella) is the local word for mozzarella cheese, especially as an add-on topping at apizza joints. Because a classic New Haven 'plain' pie has no mozzarella, ordering it 'with mootz' is the standard way to ask for it. The term is tied to the city's Italian-American immigrant heritage and its coal-fired pizza tradition.